Air fryer chocolate cake is not only a delicious treat but a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth without a traditional oven. With it's rich chocolate flavor, it's a scrumptious desserts perfect for anyone looking for a quick and easy dessert option that doesn't compromise on taste.
Believe it or not, you can create a moist and fluffy cake with an air fryer that is sure to delight your taste buds.
The beauty of making a cake in your air fryer lies in its simplicity and speed. It results in evenly baked cakes with a delicate crumb that is hard to achieve with conventional ovens.
This was inspired by my air fryer donut holes on this site, and pairs well with this Oreo Frappuccino for a decadent treat!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Uses pantry staples and common ingredients making it convenient and affordable for you to bake a cake whenever you desire.
- It's ideal for whipping up a dessert for just a few people.
- The circulating air in the air fryer ensures your cake bakes evenly!! That way you end up with a perfectly cooked dessert each time.
Ingredients
Here's a look at the simple ingredients you need to make this easy air fryer cake recipe.
- All purpose flour: You can also use gluten free flour if desired.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla is a universal crowd-pleaser, but feel free to add your desired extract flavor to your batter like almond, coconut, peppermint, lemon, banana, maple, orange, or rum extract instead.
- Cocoa powdered: Use your favorite brand of unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Sugar: This chocolate cake recipe uses a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar for balanced sweetness and a bit of extra moisture.
- Buttermilk: The acid in the buttermilk helps with leavening as well as providing a bit of extra moisture to the cake. You can make your own by adding a half tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a half cup of regular milk.
- Chocolate Frosting: I'm keeping things simple with store bought chocolate cake frosting but feel free to make your own! You can even opt for a light dusting of powdered sugar instead of frosting.
- Rainbow sprinkles: For a splash of color! You can also use any color or seasonal sprinkles for decorating.
See the recipe card below for the exact quantities of each ingredient.
Substitutions and Variations
Don't have the correct ingredients on hand? Or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change this air fryer ca.
- Go Nuts: Add your favorite chopped nuts like peanuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pecans, or walnuts to give your cake added crunch and flavor.
- Add Treats: Add chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, caramel, or butterscotch chips to the batter before cooking.
- Add Jam : A thin layer of raspberry, strawberry, or apricot jam under the frosting tastes great with chocolate cake.
- Chocolate Frosting: You can swap it out for a vanilla frosting or your favorite buttercream icing.
How to Make Chocolate Cake in the Air Fryer
Making chocolate cake in the air fryer isn't complicated. Here's a look at the main steps!
- Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
- Mix well with a fork until the ingredients are fully combined.
- Whisk together the egg, buttermilk, vanilla and oil in a separate bowl.
- Add in the sugars and mix until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients.
- Mix until fully combined the add the hot water and mix until smooth.
- Pour the cake batter into the bottom of the pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
PRO TIP: Be sure to place the pan in the bottom of the air fryer before filling it up to make sure it it fits.
- Cover the springform pan with tin foil and bake at 320 degrees for 35 minutes then uncover the cake and continue to bake for 5-8 minutes.
- Allow the to cool for about 10 minutes in the pan. Then remove it from the pan and allow it to cool on a wire rack.
- Add the frosting to the top and sides of the fully cooled cake.
- Top with rainbow sprinkles immediately following frosting.
Hint: Be sure to measure your springform pan beforehand and that it's 6 inches as 40-minutes seems to be the perfect baking time for this cake.
If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy Air Fryer Lava Cake or Chocolate Loaf Cake.
Storage
Here are some guidelines on how to store your cake in the refrigerator and freezer.
- Let the sit at room temperature until fully cooled before storing to prevent condensation from forming and a soggy cake.
- Place the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Using plastic wrap or aluminum foil, Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place it in an airtight container or resealable freezer bag, ideally without frosting, for up to 3 months.
- When you're ready to enjoy your frozen cake, thaw it in the refrigerator for a few hours or at room temperature for about an hour.
- Once the cake is thawed you can decorate it with frosting and serve.
How to Serve Chocolate Cake
After baking your delicious chocolate cake, you may want to add some finishing touches to make it even more appealing and impressive.
Whether it's for a special occasion or just satisfying your sweet tooth, a well-decorated cake will please both the eyes and the palate.
- Once cool, add your choice of frosting or icing, store bought or homemade.
- Use a piping bag to create intricate designs with your frosting or use a spatula to create swirls and swoops.
- Have some fun with sprinkles, edible glitter, or even fresh berries to add pops of color to your cake.
- Present your cake on a beautiful cake stand.
Tips
Here are some expert tips to make your Air Fryer Chocolate Cake experience a success:
- Allow the cake to cool completely before attempting any decoration.
- Always preheat your air fryer before baking the cake to ensure even cooking.
- Don't forget to grease or spray your cake pan.
- Check the cake for doneness using a cake tester or toothpick. Poke it into the center of the cake, and if it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, your cake is ready as baking times may vary.
- Use room temperature ingredients, such as eggs and butter, for best results.
- Once your cake is baked, allow it to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
FAQ
Do you have questions about air fryer chocolate cake? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about it.
When baking a cake in an air fryer, it's essential to use a pan that fits your air fryer so check that first. A 6-inch round springform pan or equivalent, works best for this recipe.
Check the cake's doneness with a toothpick or skewer. If it comes out clean or with a moist crumb, your cake is ready. If not, continue cooking in increments of 2-3 minutes until fully baked.
Yes! The cake from an air fryer is incredibly soft, moist, and delicious with a rich chocolate flavor.
More Chocolate Cake Recipes
Do you like chocolate cake? Here some recipes you may also like to try.
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Air Fryer Chocolate Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- 3 tablespoons extremely hot water near boiling
- cooking spray
Decorations
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix well with a fork until fully combined. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, vanilla and oil.
- Add in the sugars and mix until well combined.
- Fold in the dry ingredients and mix until fully combined.
- Add the hot water and mix until smooth.
- Spray a 6-inch spring form pan with non-stick cooking spray. Place the pan in the bottom of the air fryer (be sure to measure first to ensure it fits).
- Pour cake batter into the bottom of the pan. It should self-level well. Be sure to scrape the edges of the bowl using a rubber spatula to gather any excess batter.
- Cover the springform pan with tin foil and bake at 320 degrees for 35 minutes.
- When done, uncover the cake and continue to bake for 5-8 minutes.
- When done, carefully remove the springform pan from the air fryer using oven mitts. Allow it to cool for about 10 minutes before opening the pan and transferring the cake to a wire rack. Allow the cake to continue to cool there completely before adding frosting to the top and sides of the cake. Top with rainbow sprinkles immediately following frosting.
- Notes:
- This recipe does call for store bought chocolate cake frosting. However you can create your own.
- Be sure to measure your springform pan beforehand.
- 40-minutes seems to be the perfect baking time for this cake.
Notes
Nutrition
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